


The Last Story: Breath Of The Wild

by MysticalAuthoress



Category: The Last Story (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amnesia, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Gen, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Other characters mentioned - Freeform, Post-Game(s), Second Chances, The Last Story spoilers, breath of the wild AU, but the abuse reference is super brief and not even graphic, may or may not expand into a multi chapter fic later on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:42:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24471490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysticalAuthoress/pseuds/MysticalAuthoress
Summary: Zael failed to stop Zangurak. However, Calista used all the power she could to save Zael's life, while also keeping Zangurak's power at bay. One hundred years later, Zael wakes up. With no memory of who he was, who his friends and family were, or even what the mark on his right hand means, Zael has to figure out how to save Lazulis and the rest of the world as he knows it, while navigating ghosts of the past and present.Now expanding into a multichapter fanfic with weekly updates, as of Feb. 5th, 2021.
Relationships: Arganan & Elza | Zael, Arganan & Kanan | Calista, Elza | Zael/Kanan | Calista
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Author note: I do NOT own The Last Story, nor do I own The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which this fic takes heavy inspiration from (hence the title).
> 
> May or may not expand into a multichapter fic, but I figured it would be fun to post this regardless. I hope you all enjoy reading!
> 
> Warning: Major spoilers for The Last Story, post-game AU where Zangurak won (or seemingly so, at least), Breath Of The Wild AU and established Zael/Calista. There are also mentions of domestic abuse, general canon-typical violence and character death, as well.

_Zael…Zael…_

_Wake up, Zael._

He woke up. Looked down at himself.

Where was he? What was going on?

What was this place?

All Zael understood was that he was in some sort of stone chamber. It seemed that he was on his own, too. There wasn't anyone in the room with him. There were a few items nearby; a sword, some armor.

The armor fit him well.

The sword was heavy, but he got used to the grip after slowly navigating his way out of the cave, following the light up ahead to make it outside.

* * *

Upon leaving the cave, after navigating many passageways, Zael came across an old man. At least, the man had to be somewhat old; it was obvious he had scars on the left side of his face, from where Zael could see due to the scarf on his neck being tied too loosely. The eyepatch covering the left side of the man's face was also not helping things.

"Excuse me, sir?" Zael cleared his throat. "Are you okay?"

The man shook his head, turning to face him. It was only then that Zael realized that the man had a prosthetic, metal left arm and matching lower left leg. "I'm fine." He managed, but Zael had a feeling that he was lying. "Though it's not often I see anyone."

Zael looked around, seeing the wreckage of a castle town up ahead, and then towards the other man, asking, "What happened? And…where am I?"

A sigh left the other, before his one working eye looked into the other's own.

"I'm not surprised you don't remember much…Zael."

* * *

The man, who introduced himself as Arganan, was courteous enough to offer him an apple or two eat after roasting them in a makeshift firepit, and put him up to speed with the current situation: They were in the outskirts of Lazulis Island, right now. Within Lazulis City was, well, Lazulis Castle.

Within Lazulis Castle was Zangurak, King of the Gurak, who took over all of Lazulis a hundred years ago. Many had died when the Gurak made their final stand. Those that didn't were either enslaved within the town, or fled to the Vono Islands or smaller, surrounding islands, if not the Empire's mainland. The Gurak had attempted taking over the mainland ever since, but had little success over the years that ensued.

And, much to Zael's shock, he learned two things:

He was alive only because Calista found a way to save him with the last of her magic.

He had the same power as Zangurak; the power of the Outsider.

That certainly explained a few things; the mark on his right hand, for instance. And the fact that he didn't remember anything probably was explained by Calista's way to save him.

"You really don't remember?" Arganan sighed, shaking his head. "Well, you were asleep for a hundred years. You also did get damaged rather badly, but I wouldn't be surprised if your amnesia is a side-effect of the magic Calista used to preserve you."

"You sound like you know her well." Zael remarked, finishing his third apple at this point.

Arganan ate his own apple, quiet. It was nighttime at this point, after all this conversation. The soft flickering embers of the fire lit up his somber face as he looked towards Zael.

"I know you just woke up," Arganan managed, "But I need you to save her."

Zael faltered mid-bite. "Her?"

"Calista. She's my niece, and the woman you love. I was the Count of Lazulis, once, and she would've been Countess after me." The older man shook his head. "But Zangurak defeated her, as far as I know. This place is filled with the damned Gurak because Lazulis fell to them." Zael watched him shudder, hearing his metal arm click a few times with the movement. "This land barely has any life left, now."

Zael swallowed, watching the flecks of white dance in the sky around them. "Are the little specks…?"

"The decay? Yes. The land's been dying for a long time. Slowly, but steadily. I should have realized the signs earlier." Arganan let a sigh leave him. "This is my fault. All of it. I didn't listen to my niece, or you, when it came to the Outsider, or your wellbeing or hers."

A fury Zael wasn't sure he felt before stirred up in his chest. "Then why don't you go out there and _fix_ it?" He extended a hand to grab the older man by the shoulder, to get his attention…

But that was when his hand passed through Arganan's shoulder entirely. Zael tried to grab him again, but the result was the same.

"I can't do anything." Arganan managed, staring into his eye with his own working one. "I'm dead."

Zael stared down at himself, pinched himself once. At least he knew he himself was alive. But… "What about Calista?" He looked up at Arganan. "What about her?"

"I don't know. And frankly, I don't know how you plan to get into Lazulis City as is, let alone the _castle._ She somehow managed to seal herself and Zangurak within the castle's confines with her magic. The House of Arganan is unrivaled in such abilities. But…" He swallowed, averting his gaze from Zael. "I don't know how long it'll hold. It's only a matter of time before he overpowers her. Especially since he has the power of the Outsider."

"Maybe you can help me get in." Zael managed. He recalled hearing a voice when he first woke up. Was it Calista, calling to him from afar? "There has be some way to do it. And if you're dead, it's not like you have to worry about dying again."

"It's not that simple." Arganan glared at him. "Also, you're not just rescuing Calista, and all of Lazulis. There's also your friends."

Zael stared at him. "My friends?"

"I don't remember all their names," Arganan managed, "But there were five of them."

That didn't help much. "What are the names you do remember?"

"Dagran."

 _Dagran?_ The memory of a golden-eyed gaze came back to Zael for a moment, before fading away.

Arganan shrugged. "You and him were close, as far as I know. He led your friends. All of you worked for me."

Zael swallowed. He worked under this man before? He wasn't sure how to feel about that. He felt uneasy, but at the same time, at least Arganan was nice enough to let him know what was going on. And he didn't know who else to turn to, so maybe going to Arganan was his only choice.

Five friends, also gone. What if they were dead, too?

"Is there anyone else I should know of?" He asked. "Ones that were my friends, or allies?"

The older man nodded. "General Asthar and his pupil, Sir Therius. Asthar died early on in the war, after he was assassinated by Lord Jirall Rambaldt."

"Jirall?"

"Calista's fiancé. They were supposed to get married, but then you came along. Turns out the rapscallion worked for the Gurak in secret, so I had him imprisoned."

"What happened to him?"

"Died at sea. That's all I know."

"What about Sir Therius?" Zael tried to imagine what Therius might look like. Despite the familiarity of the name, he couldn't visualize the man. It sounded like a serious name, though.

"Died during the last stand against the Gurak. As far as I know," Arganan shrugged, "You're the only one that's really survived what happened all that time ago. There are descendants of those that once lived at the time, but as I mentioned earlier, it's been a hundred years."

Zael lowered his gaze to the ground, letting that sink in. His chest felt a bit tight, knowing that he'd been asleep underground while everyone else out there died.

"Get that look off your face, will you?" Zael's gaze snapped up towards a now-scowling Arganan. "I understand you're disappointed. But my niece gave you this chance to stop Zangurak once and for all. She saved _you_ , so you could save whatever is left of Lazulis. Don't waste it."

"How does my power even work, though? How can I defeat Zangurak with," Zael held up his right hand to show Arganan the mark, "This?"

Arganan's brow furrowed as he looked towards the mark, and then up at Zael. "I can certainly supply you with what I know and remember about it. And I understand, as you recover your memories, that you might have less reason for you to trust me."

That didn't sound good. Zael wasn't sure how to feel about that.

"But, if we don't work together," Arganan finished, "Lazulis is doomed."

Zael knew that he didn't have much of a choice right now. He could just go saunter off on his own and figure things out, but the lack of memory didn't help. And if Arganan had knowledge of the Outsider's power that he didn't currently remember, it might be worth sticking around. He wasn't about to expect him and the older, dead man to get friendly, but they both had a clear bond with Lazulis itself, as well as Calista. Zael knew he needed to learn more about that.

"Okay." Zael finally managed, looking Arganan in the eye. "I'll work with you – for now."

He heard the older man chuckle. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Zael vaguely remembered, in the back of his mind, a voice calling out that the Outsider's power was all his, as well as panicked screams. A vision of Arganan dissolving into light came back to him, but only for a moment. He blinked several times, looking towards Arganan again.

"What?" Arganan frowned. "Is there something wrong?"

Zael shrugged. "Just remembering something." Or at least a piece of it, if not the whole thing.

All Zael could hope, at this point, was that this newfound alliance and chance at life, ended well for himself, Calista, and all of Lazulis. He had a second chance, and he wasn't about to fail, this time.


	2. Calista and Arganan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zael and Arganan set up camp and discuss more of the past. Zael remembers something, but Arganan isn't exactly happy about what that something is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: Brief discussion of domestic abuse, but nothing graphic is mentioned.

Zael couldn't do much for the rest of the first day. By the time he and Arganan were done discussing the most important objectives, it was already sundown. Arganan suggested setting up camp. The good news was, the two of them were already close enough to the cave-like area where Zael initially woke up in, so they decided to camp there for the night.

Zael had a hard time sleeping in the stone chamber he first woke up in. He examined the odd markings on the walls, tracing them with his fingers. Did Calista make all of these, herself? Or was this chamber prepared since long ago, just in case they expected Zael to be in such critical condition back then?

A hundred years. He'd slept in here a hundred years, and right _now,_ he couldn't sleep. Funny, how fate liked messing with him.

He heard Arganan sigh, and he turned to face the older, dead man, seeing his frown. "As much as I'm sure you're curious about this chamber, you really need some rest. Surely you can sleep one night, in here. Or would you rather take it outside?"

"It's not a matter of sleeping in here or outside." Zael managed, shaking his head. "It's just…" He looked towards the markings on the walls, then towards Arganan. "Can you identify these? Are these magical, or decorative?"

Arganan approached the wall that Zael previously examined, studying it with his one eye. Zael could help but stare at the eyepatch that covered the older man's left side of his face. What was it covering? Scars? Magical markings, like the ones on the walls? Or something else?

"These are the marks of healing magic." Arganan muttered, turning to face the younger man. "It's etched all over these walls. Anyone sleeping in here would be affected by it, but magic this intense is often used for bedridden, ill patients. Or comatose, in your case."

"How much do you know about magic?" Zael couldn't really remember a thing right now.

A groan escaped the older man. "A lot, obviously. I was the Count. Even before I took on my reign, I studied as much as I could."

"Do you specialize in healing magic?"

He saw the other's brow furrow. "Unfortunately, despite my knowledge, my actual proficiency at that skill is…nowhere close." A scowl left Arganan as he shook his head, closing his eye for a good moment. "I wouldn't have been able to pull this off, myself. Calista, more likely. She might've had help from a few surviving healing mages, back then, but…I doubt it. She probably did it by herself, before running off to try to hold off Zangurak in Lazulis Castle."

"Zangurak?" The King of the Gurak, right? Zael recalled Arganan telling him about him. "What is Zangurak like?"

"Horrible." The other's nose wrinkled at that. "Just like all the other bloody Gurak. My goal was to get rid of them all and bring peace to the Empire."

 _Clearly,_ Zael thought, _the plan didn't work._ It was obvious that Arganan had a clear distaste for these Gurak, whatever these beings were. He couldn't help but frown at the older man's goal of absolutely decimating them, though. Something felt off about it. Pushing a few bangs out of his face, he decided to change the subject as he spoke again. "Are there more people like you?"

Arganan stared back at him, raising a brow. "Like me?" He repeated.

"As in," Zael gestured to him, "Dead. Ghostly. Can't touch them, but I can hear and see them."

"Well, there might be one or two for sure." Arganan paused, tilting his head slightly. His gaze softened, but then he shook his head. "I'm sure you probably don't remember them, anyway."

"Who were they?"

Arganan frowned. "Do I have to tell you?"

"What if I told you that the first thing I remembered was the fact that I saw you die?" The words flew out of Zael's mouth before he could stop them. "What about then?"

The wielder of the Outsider's power immediately noticed Arganan swallow, going stiff. His gaze avoided Zael's own, shaking his head a bit, jaw clenching at the memory.

"Out of every bloody thing," The older man finally swore, voice low, "You had to remember _that,_ first?"

"You said that the Outsider was all yours, before you died." Zael swallowed, recalling the memory as best as he could. He remembered Calista's screams for her uncle echo in his ears, the warnings of fellow friends whose names he couldn't remember, trying to escape along with them as they left the Count of Lazulis behind.

"I died alone." Arganan's gaze snapped into Zael's own, crossed between fury and terror all at once. "I tried to get the Outsider's power. But it was so we could destroy the Gurak with the Lazulis Cannon. Lazulis' half of the Outsider has been used for years, to power that machine. Usually it responded as needed, but _that_ time…" He pushed a few messy bangs out of his face with his metal hand, his brow twitching, "That time, it didn't work. We had no choice but to go down to the Outsider itself. I thought…provoking it would _work."_

"And it didn't." Zael finally ended.

"No. It didn't. I had the life sucked out of me instead, and it was all for _nothing."_ The older man beat his metal fist straight into the wall, and Zael winced as the impact echoed through the cavernous surroundings. "You have no idea how much it hurt when I died. How many regrets I have. How much unfinished business I'll never get to resolve."

"Like what?" Zael frowned, looking him in the eye. "Seeing the end of the war against the Gurak?"

"How about trying to make up for all the shit I put my niece through?"

Zael froze at that. The memory of Arganan flashed through his head, seeing him slap Calista in the face, calling her by an ugly name, while Zael did nothing but watch. Zael shut his eyes, swallowing. _I should've said something back then. I'm sorry, Calista._

He opened his eyes, looking Arganan in the eye. "You hurt her?" He couldn't stop the anger leaking into his voice. How dare this man hurt his own niece! Why would he even do such a thing?

Arganan frowned. "I'm not proud of it. I was doing what I thought I needed to do, to secure Lazulis' future. She didn't like her previous fiancé, whose marriage I arranged for her. She kept running away, every time I tried to keep her in the castle. Even when I tried to get you both married so you would serve me as your knight, she defied me once again. She knew what I meant to do with all of that." He shook his head, leaning back against the wall with a sigh. "What I did was cruel to her. But it was also necessary for Lazulis' future. If you hadn't come along, I would still have her married to Jirall. It was to secure Lazulis' power. And if she ran off, I would've risked losing her to any enemies of Lazulis. And trying to get you and her married to each other, in exchange for you swearing fealty to me, meant that I would secure necessary power for us to win the war against the Gurak, or so I thought at the time."

"Surely there had to be some other way." Zael managed, shaking his head. "Couldn't there be a way for both of you to compromise?"

"I honestly don't know. I suppose I never will." He shook his head. "I should have talked to her more than I did."

It was then that Zael remembered what Arganan told him: Recovering more of his own memories meant less of a reason to trust him. He supposed it made sense now. Who would normally want to work with a man who did nothing but made his niece unhappy, all for the sake of power?

Zael had a feeling that was only one of the few things he'd learn about Arganan that made him less trustworthy. But if he left Arganan now, how would he learn more about his Outsider's power? Just because he worked with someone didn't mean that he had to like them. Zael definitely wanted to find Calista even _more,_ now, and apologize to her for all the times he stood by and let her take any abuse from her uncle. But…

"When we find Calista," Zael managed, "Do you promise to try to be better to her?"

Arganan raised a brow. "You actually think I can get better?"

"You seem like you regret what you did to her." The younger man pointed out. "I don't know how upset she is with you with this even now, but…if there's a chance you're able to talk to me, maybe you can talk to her when we find her. There has to be a reason you're still walking around here, even if you're dead. Maybe making it up to her is the reason."

The older man paused, his good eye widening at that. He looked down at himself, and then up at Zael, his chest rising and falling with a single breath, before he finally spoke.

"Maybe you're right." He paused, and then a chuckle left him at that. "Sorry. I can't help but find it funny."

Zael frowned. "Find what funny?"

"You would've been my nephew-in-law, if you married Calista back then." Arganan managed. A light smile rested on his face at that. "Perhaps you're the voice of reason both she and I needed. And before you ask again, I promise."

Zael wasn't sure about that, but at least Arganan made a promise. And he intended to make sure his almost-uncle-in-law stuck to his word. Zael found it easy to fall asleep, after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's right, everyone: This fic is being expanded into a full multichapter fic! XD I had so much fun with writing the initial chapter (a oneshot back then) that I figured I might as well continue Zael's journey. I hope that all of you enjoy reading the next chapters!


	3. The Gurak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zael encounters familiar enemies for the first time in a hundred years, and learns to hunt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FUN FACT: The same day I posted Chapter 2, I found out that it's The Last Story's 10th anniversary! I can't believe it's already been so long since the game was first released. I honestly do hope that this game gets remastered for the Switch in the future, because I'd love to pick up the game and play it all over again with renewed graphics and everything. This game meant a lot to me, and the game's creativity in its aesthetics, story, gameplay and characters influenced and still influences a lot of my work up to the present time. In a way, it's quite fitting that I'm continuing this fic during its 10th anniversary – and I'm happy to write fics for this fandom and the game.
> 
> Happy 10th Anniversary to The Last Story!

It was morning, now, and Zael's stomach growled.

Arganan immediately tried sating it with apples, but it barely did anything.

"I'm surprised your stomach is growling so much." The older man mused. "How did your crew survive your appetite?"

"I've been asleep for a hundred years." Zael gently reminded him. "Honestly, I'm not surprised that I'm so hungry."

A chuckle left Arganan at that. "Perhaps so. This might be a good opportunity for you to practice with that crossbow of yours, just in case."

"My crossbow?" Zael frowned. Had he picked up a crossbow, yesterday? He remembered grabbing a sword and armor, but…

Arganan held up a crossbow and a few arrows, before offering it to Zael. "I found this deeper in the cavern while you slept, last night. These arrows won't be enough to shoot down enemies in a rush, but I'm sure you can shoot a wild animal and butcher it for yourself."

Zael gratefully took the crossbow and arrows. The crossbow was heavy in his hands, but the brief memory of shooting a guard with sleeping arrows came to his mind. Why _had_ he done that? He couldn't remember, but it was probably for a good reason.

At least he had a weapon fit for hunting, now. After searching around the outdoors, he spotted a bird. He felt slight guilt as he pointed the crossbow at the bird, but he fired regardless. The bird died.

By the time Zael returned to Arganan with the bird, he noticed that the older man had a fire going, just like the first time when they met (or rather, reunited after one hundred years). Zael figured that roasting the bird was probably the best way to go, turning it on a makeshift spit. As Zael kept close watch on the bird, he figured that he had time for more questions.

"Did you ever fight in battle?"

Arganan frowned, shaking his head. "I was a weak fighter, I admit. I used to be good, when I was younger. But then…" His gaze drifted towards his left metal arm, as well as his lower left metal leg. "Things changed. Illness. I couldn't fight, anymore. As much as I do wish I could fight like you could, it did give me time to learn more about the politics of the Empire, as well as Lazulis, before I became Count."

"Does that also apply to," Zael gently gestured to his own eye, "That?"

"Yes." Arganan's metal hand lifted, tapping the eyepatch with his index finger. "And I'd rather not show off the scars underneath."

"Sorry." At least Arganan could, maybe, back him up with healing magic if he got into combat situations. Then again, he was dead. Could dead people heal the living?

He heard the other sigh. "It's fine."

The bird was roasted enough for Zael to eat. Out of politeness, he offered Arganan a piece, but the former Count of Lazulis refused to eat it, knowing too well that Zael was alive and required food, while Arganan, being dead, did not.

* * *

After the makeshift meal was over, Zael decided that it was best to start heading to Lazulis City. After all, he had to save Calista. She was in the castle, which was located in the city, so it made the most sense to head straight over there.

He barely made it a few miles into his journey when he came across the Gurak. They were humanoid, but their skin reminded Zael of something more reptilian, to an extent, with their scalier-looking skin. They wore armor, so he assumed they must be soldiers.

All of them came running at Zael, swords drawn.

Even though Zael slept for a hundred years and just woke up only a day ago, dodging the swords and blocking them wasn't hard. It wasn't the first time he was outnumbered. The memory of a white-haired knight, struggling alone against the Gurak after several knights abandoned him and gave up, flashed in Zael's mind. Was that the one Arganan called Therius, who died in the last stand against the Gurak?

Whoever that man was, Zael was determined to not die right here. Not now. He had a mission to fufill, after all, and he wasn't about to be defeated so easily. With several swings of his sword, as well as a few counterattacks, all of the Gurak soldiers lay on the ground, dead. During the entire fight, Zael noticed his right hand glowing blue.

He heard Arganan sigh, before approaching Zael. "Hold your arm out, will you? I think you're bleeding."

Zael complied, and he did realize that there was, indeed, a cut on his upper left arm. He must've been nicked during the fight, he supposed.

"You need to be more careful." Arganan managed, frowning lightly. White light appeared from his right non-metal hand, covering Zael's upper left arm. It tingled a bit where it touched the wound, but as the light faded, Zael realized that the wound was gone. "The last thing I want for you is to be skewered on a sword. You were a lot better at this, years ago."

"I think me being rusty is to be expected." Zael shrugged. "I mean, I was asleep for a hundred years."

"Fair." Arganan looked towards the Gurak corpses, before looking up at Zael. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

"Hm?"

"You don't have a lot with you." Arganan pointed out. "And I'm sure our little friends here might have something of use. Not like they can use them now, anyway."

Zael's nose wrinkled as he looked towards the soldiers. He couldn't smell the blood seeping from their corpses, and he quietly hoped that wasn't just a mere side effect of Calista's magic used to heal him (though if it was, he was thankful for it right now). "I can't just rob them! That would make me no better than…"

The memory of a woman crying out his name, telling him to flee. Tall men in ragged clothing and sharp weapons, setting fires and laughing as they pillaged the houses around him. Zael himself, running out of the town, trying to hide.

He heard Arganan scoff, and Zael looked him in the eye to see him glaring at him. "Look, I'm sure it's very unknightly to do such a thing. I normally don't encourage pillaging corpses, but you'll _need_ all the supplies you can get."

"They were just doing their job," Zael started, and he saw Arganan shake his head.

"They might have been. But they're also our enemy." He hissed. "And ultimately, you're defeating their leader, anyway, so you might as well get used to using what they have to decimate them all. We don't have a lot as is already."

"What is with you and your _obsession_ with decimating the Gurak!?" The younger man finally snapped, no longer holding back the uneasy feeling about the older man. "Do you have nothing but hatred for them?"

"They _destroyed_ Lazulis!" Arganan snapped right back with them. Zael wasn't sure if he'd seen Arganan so angry before, even a hundred years ago. "Back then, a hundred years ago, wasn't the first time we fought them. My ancestors and the entire rest of the Empire have warred with them. They wanted the resources we had. There was no other way!"

"There _has_ to be another way." Zael gritted his teeth, trying to push the memory of the raiders from his mind. "I will find a way."

"Sometimes there isn't." The older man stated, crossing his arms. "You have to remember that, Zael. Is that clear?"

Zael swallowed. Was it really the only way? He wanted to argue against that, but this would just get nowhere.

"Fine." He finally managed, meeting Arganan's gaze. Arganan nodded once in acknowledgement, falling into silence.

Zael, with some regret in his heart, confiscated anything that would be useful off the dead guards; rations they had on hand, bits of armor pieces, some flint for fires, and one or two daggers and all of the arrows they had. However, he let them keep their swords, and the clothes they wore. They deserved to keep those, at least, even as he hid them in the closest bushes he could find to make sure no one found them too easily and realized someone ran around killing them, in the first place.


	4. Reminiscing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zael and Arganan, while making plans for what to do next, has Arganan reminiscing about the past.

Zael wandered around the outskirts of Lazulis Island, trying to get a sense of the surroundings. He knew he could just take the road and go straight into the city, but it would be difficult to do with all the Gurak roaming about. Arganan explained to him that the humans living in Lazulis City were constantly monitored in case of any rebellion that needed to be shut down, and so on. If Zael wanted to get in there and not be immediately recognized as the 'savior' of Lazulis that failed, a hundred years ago, he needed a disguise, or at least a way to sneak in without being noticed.

"You should have just taken the dead guards' armor." Arganan muttered, shaking his head. "You could disguise yourself as a Gurak guard reporting for duty."

"What about you?" Zael frowned, looking towards him. "Wouldn't they see you?"

Arganan gestured to himself with his right hand. "I'm dead, remember? You're the only one that can see and hear me, so I don't have to worry about that."

Zael looked down at the mark on his right hand, studying it. Now that he thought about it, did he remember anything about the Outsider's power? Not really. But Arganan knew, right? He looked up at the older man, taking a deep breath.

"Can the Outsider's power make me invisible?" He asked. "Or make a disguise?"

Arganan paused, then shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Your powers focused on slowing down the enemy's movements and reviving your friends if they were knocked out. I've never seen you use it for magical glamours like invisibility or disguise."

So much for _that_ idea. Zael sighed, shaking his head. "Well, I don't want to take someone else's armor."

"You sound _so_ knight-like, saying that." Zael couldn't tell if Arganan was being sarcastic or not. "Asthar would be so proud of you."

"Asthar?"

"General Asthar. I told you about him briefly." Arganan frowned, closing his good eye for a moment. "Sir Therius was his pupil. Both of them came here to Lazulis in time for Calista and Jirall's engagement party. You were there, too. Asthar…" A hum left Arganan, and he opened his eye. "He took great interest in you. Probably because you both thought similarly about knighthood."

The deep, but friendly voice of a man came to Zael's mind. _Ahh. You're worried about Lady Calista? Can't say I blame you, lad…_

He thought he imagined Asthar smiling for a moment, despite his beard hiding some of his facial features, but then it faded away. Zael had a feeling that he got along with Asthar back then.

"You said he died, during the war against the Gurak." Zael managed. "Who killed him?"

"Jirall." For some reason, _that_ didn't seem right. Zael frowned, but Arganan continued to explain. "You and Dagran, after you were initially broke out of jail due to being framed for Asthar's murder, snuck back into the castle to find out who it was. You found out that Jirall worked with the Gurak, and also found the bloody sword he killed Asthar with. I jailed Jirall myself and broke off his engagement with Calista."

Zael raised a brow at the mention of Dagran. "Dagran was there?"

Arganan nodded. "He was."

For someone who was a leader of the mercenaries, Zael realized that he didn't know Dagran very well. He figured that Dagran must be close to him, like a friend, if he was willing to break him out of jail. "Arganan?" It felt weird, addressing the older man by his name, but Arganan faced him anyway.

The older man blinked. "What is it?"

"How well did you know Dagran?"

He saw the older man's face stiffen slightly, and his gaze averted itself from Zael's own, as if struggling to word something properly. After a moment, a sigh left him as he made eye contact with Zael.

"He was charismatic. And wise. And many, many other things." Zael thought he saw Arganan's gaze soften, and then he averted his gaze from Zael again. "I still remember his golden eyes."

"Was I close to him?"

Arganan shrugged. "He certainly had his eye on you. Looked out for you. He told me that you had the Outsider's Power to get you out of jail once, when Jirall tried accusing you of kidnapping Calista."

"What?" Zael couldn't remember if he ever kidnapped anyone. "Jirall must be lying."

"I'm sure he was. Though I had to believe his word at the time. Calista had been kidnapped by the Gurak, and you, Dagran, and a few others in your mercenary group went missing around the same time. Upon all of you returning, it made reasonable sense at the time." A sigh left him at that, and he shook his head. "Of course, it was made clear that you were innocent, and the savior of Lazulis on top of that."

"The savior? Because of my power?"

"Yes." He nodded. "Because of your power. It transformed this island into a moving fortress, at one point during the war."

The memory of Arganan slapping Calista in the face while Zael stood by and watched came back to Zael's mind, and he winced. Ah. _That_ must have been when that happened. Zael decided it was best to change the subject for now, and his mind shifted back to Asthar.

"What was General Asthar like?"

"Other than what I told you earlier?" Arganan paused, frowning. "He used to be the Imperial Commander of the armies in the Empire's mainland. However, things changed. Several years prior to Calista and Jirall's engagement ball, there was a rebellion. Apparently, Asthar was in charge of it, though I doubt that was truly the case. After it ended, due to its destructive results, Asthar stepped down from being the Imperial Commander and started wandering the Empire, eventually arriving in Lazulis. Despite stepping down from being a commander, though, all of us in the Empire knew that Asthar was a fantastic commander, and worthy of respect, even with the whole rebellion incident."

"He was part of a rebellion?" Zael frowned. How odd. For some reason, he had a feeling that wasn't the case.

"Apparently so. But again, as I mentioned, I _doubt_ he actually was. He might've just taken the blame for someone else's doings. The question is…why?" Arganan shook his head, before speaking again. "But enough of that, for now. We need to find a way to get into Lazulis City without you being easily noticed. And since you're insistent on not using a dead man's armor, perhaps you'd do better if you hitched a ride in the wagon of a merchant or two."

Merchants? Zael raised a brow. "Merchants come into this island?"

"Gurak ones, mainly, from the Gurak Continent." Arganan clarified. "That's also how the Gurak maintain their supply of weapons. They always had advanced technology, compared to Lazulis." His nose wrinkled at that. "And they used their Continent as a fortress back then, too. As much as I despise them, I admit that they were smart with their technology."

"How am I supposed to find the merchants? I assume they'd come in from a port, right?"

"Yes. There are two. The main port is in the city, but the other is at the other end of this island and follows the main road leading to the city. If there are any merchants whose wagon you can sneak into, it might work."

Zael frowned. What if he got the poor merchants in trouble for accidentally sneaking a human in? What then? He shook his head.

"I don't think that's a good idea. Maybe I can sneak into the city myself."

"How? Sneak through the gates? Guards have their eyes constantly on those gates."

"there has to be a change of guard at some point, right?" Zael raised a brow. "I could try to go in inbetween the changes."

Arganan paused, and then slowly nodded. "Perhaps you have a point, there." He finally managed. He paused, before nodding once more. "Yes, that can work. We'll have to wait until nighttime, though. It'll be harder for them to spot you. When they change guards at night, you'll have a chance to sneak into Lazulis City. However," He frowned, "Once you go in, it won't be any easier to get out. I suggest you try to be as prepared as you can before tonight."

Zael nodded. "Okay." He wasn't sure how prepared he could be. Sure, he had weapons and armor, but not a lot of food. He didn't like the idea of straight-up stealing or pickpocketing anyone ,but it wasn't like he could just grab a few apples and take them into the city with him. And he couldn't go hunting out here and bring the meat in afterwards, either. That would be too much.

Then again, Lazulis City surely had some food, right? Maybe he could (reluctantly) take some dried goods from the market to eat. And maybe he could sneak in an apple or two into the city with him. Either way, he had some scavenging to do, and he might as well get to it before sundown.


	5. Lazulis City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zael finally enters Lazulis City.

It was nighttime, now, and after a whole day of scavenging and exploring, Zael felt a bit more prepared. He had some apples, some wild herbs he found growing in the wilderness, and he even found a few stray arrows lying around while avoiding other Gurak soldiers patrolling the island.

Zael knew he had his chance to sneak in. He waited carefully, trying ot keep his face covered with a scarf. Arganan had reluctantly handed Zael his own scarf to cover his face, and Zael was surprised that the dead man could even offer up his own clothing to a living one. Perhaps Arganan wasn't as untouchable as Zael initially thought, despite his deceased state. That was something he had to examine later, though, after entering the city.

The guards started changing places. Zael decided to make his move.

He made it right through the main gates, just before the new soldiers made their way to their posts. They must have assumed he was a fellow Gurak, given that they couldn't see his face, as they gave him nods of acknowledgement. Zael offered an awkward nod back in return, before taking a look around.

Lazulis City was full of buildings. Despite it being nighttime, it was bustling with some activity in the open streets. Gurak, tall and small alike, gathered around taverns, conversed with each other quietly as they walked with each other, and a few were trying to sell the last wares of the day, calling out to the passing people. Zael even noticed a couple other humans among the crowd of Gurak, though they were mostly rushing home or heading for the taverns rather than leisurely walking. Zael noticed a few Gurak guards pass by, and he guessed they were on patrol

"Heading for the castle will be difficult." Arganan was beside Zael, and, just as Zael expected, no one seemed to notice Arganan at all. "There are even more guards, there, than at the main entrance. It would be best if you found a small tavern or something to hide at."

"I don't have any money, though." Zael pointed out.

"Couldn't you sneak into a spare room?" Arganan shrugged. Zael noticed the scars lining the side of Arganan's neck, creeping upwards and under where his large eyepatch covered the left half of his face. Where had those scars come from? Did he get those when he died, or before then? Either way, the scars must be the reason why Arganan wore a scarf and eyepatch in the first place. "Or there must be a spare alley, somewhere."

"If I do sleep outside," Zael finally managed, "Will you keep watch? Do you sleep?"

"I don't sleep." The older man muttered, shaking his head. "Sometimes I wish I could. But given the entire situation, I'll keep an eye out for you."

"Thank you." That was all Zael could muster. He wondered if Arganan had any peace at all, since dying. Could ghosts have any sensations that were close to sleeping for regular people?

* * *

The good news was that Zael did find a random street corner to sleep in. He even managed to take a blanket off a passing hay cart to use for himself. Hopefully the people here would just leave him alone in the corner, where he was.

He knew it wasn't great, and even Arganan hadn't approved, but both men knew it was better than nothing. At least, for tonight. The plan was to wake up tomorrow, find something to eat, and survey the area and see who patrolled where in town. And hopefully, hopefully, find a way to get into Lazulis Castle.

Zael leaned back against the alley wall, trying to close his eyes as he wrapped the blanket about himself. Taking a deep breath, he sighed, hoping to drown out the sounds of the people from the main streets with his breathing.

"Hey, mister?"

That wasn't Arganan speaking. Zael opened his eyes, jolting as he looked up at the source of the voice.

Just a few feet ahead of him was a young woman standing there, with red hair that fell to around her chin. Some of it was pushed back with a blue bandanna or scarf tied around her head, and she wore a white, shortsleeved tunic underneath a green and brown patterned dress with brown boots. Her appearance reminded him of someone. He wasn't sure who, but it seemed so familiar.

"Are you alone?" She asked, offering him a hand. She seemed concerned, given her wide eyes. "I have a spare room if you want to sleep there, for the night."

"A-are you sure?" Zael's eyes widened as he faced her, and he moved to stand. She was an inch or two shorter than him, for sure. "I mean, I don't really have a lot of money to pay for lodging, so…"

"Of course!" She nodded. "We humans have to stick together. I don't see why I shouldn't help you."

"Er…okay." At least he had lodging for the night. He'd take that chance. "Thanks."

She opened the back door of what Zael assumed was a tavern, smiling at him. "Come in. And by the way, my name's Ariela."

"Ariela?" He blinked. "I'm, er…" what should he call himself? He probably couldn't say his own name, because she might recognize him as the 'savior of Lazulis' from a hundred years ago. Did the people nowadays even know his name? It was better to be on the safe side, for now.

"Elza." He finally managed. "Elza's my name."

"Elza?" Ariela smiled up at him, and the vision of a redhaired woman giving him sandwiches came to mind, briefly. "That's a very nice name. Come in!"

Zael entered through the back door with Ariela. It seemed that Ariela didn't notice Arganan at all, despite being by Zael's side, and Zael attributed it to the fact that Arganan was and still would be a dead man walking.

To his surprise, there were Gurak and humans both mingling in the tavern. Most of the Gurak kept to each other's company, and same with the humans, interestingly enough. At least there weren't any fights, though. Not today.

"You look like you came from a rock, no offense." He heard Ariela chuckle, before escorting him up the stairs. "They're always like this."

"Are they?" Zael raised a brow.

"Of course they are." Ariela looked him in the eye, staring. "Humans and Gurak try not to fraternize much with each other. It's been like that since Zangurak took over this place."

Zael supposed that made a lot of sense. Humans and Gurak harboring hatred for each other, despite it being years since the Gurak took over, was something that was not easily let go of or accepted to soon.

"Have you never seen humans and Gurak liket his before?" She frowned. "I mean, I know there are some Gurak trying to take over various areas of the Empire's mainland, so you might've seen some there, but…here, in Lazulis, Gurak and humans not interacting with each other much despite living in the same city is pretty common."

"I haven't been to Lazulis Island before." Zael lied, offering her a sheepish look. "I got to this place by a shipwreck. I washed up on shore the other day, and I just managed to get into the city earlier."

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Elza." Ariela frowned at that. "Feel free to stay here as much as you need, okay? I don't imagine you have coin to pay for your stay here, given the shipwreck…Maybe you could run a few errands for me, in exchange?"

"That sounds fair." He nodded. "I accept that offer. I'm just thankful that you offered me a place to stay as is."

"Of course." She smiled. "As I mentioned, we humans have to stick together." A sigh left her. "Some Gurak just leave us be as long as we don't make trouble, but…others, not so much. You're lucky you didn't get assaulted by any Gurak up until now."

Zael decided not to ask about that last part. This woman's name was Ariela, right? Why was that name so familiar?

"How were you called Ariela?" He asked. "If you don't mind me asking."

"Well, my mum named me after my grandma's name. Grandma lived back before the Gurak took over this island, a hundred years ago!" Ariela smiled, before a sigh left her. "My mum told me about the stories Grandma Ariela told her. Stories of a man that used to come to her tavern with his friends. They were mercs." The younger woman sighed again, shaking her head. "One of them was apparently the savior of Lazulis, a hundred years ago, but he failed his mission, hence why the Gurak took over this island." She frowned, shaking her head. "I feel bad for him. It must've been a lot of pressure."

Zael wished he could tell her that he was, indeed, the same man that she was talking about. He wished he could tell her that his actual name was Zael, and that he was here to save all of Lazulis from Zangurak and finally stop him. However…he couldn't. Not now.

Maybe after he saved the world, he'd come clean. He owed that to her, at least.

"Does Ariela still live now?" Zael asked. He thought he recalled a blond man flirting with Ariela, only for Ariela to pretend to ignore him instead. "Your grandma, that is."

"Oh, no." The young woman shook her head. "She already passed fifteen years ago. It's amazing that she lived so long, though. A good hundred-something years in total."

Zael doubted that many of the citizens of Lazulis would know of him too well. They probably talked about him through the generations, now that he thought about it, but there would be very few people left, if any, that recognized him from a hundred years ago.

He closed his eyes briefly, and vaguely recalled a night of drinking, where an olive-skinned, golden-eyed man actually staggered about drunk as he congratulated Zael on being promoted to knight-in-training.

Wait. Hadn't Arganan told him that there was a man with golden eyes that he knew? What was his name? Dagran?

Zael swallowed and offered his condolences for her to lose her grandma of the same as her. Eventually, not-Grandma-Ariela left him to settle into his room, and Zael looked towards Arganan, who hadn't said a thing during his and Ariela's conversation.

"I used to be here?" Zael asked.

Arganan raised a brow, leaning against the wall behind him. "I wouldn't know. I never set foot in here. Rarely left the castle, remember?"

"Yeah. But…" Zael took a deep breath, inhaling the smell of worn linens and food wafting up from the kitchens below. "I think I remember being here. Me and the others…stayed here, while we were under contract."

"Must have been before I promoted you and Dagran, then." Arganan hummed, closing his good eye briefly. A sigh left him as he shook his head lightly. "I wonder..if he survived, like you did, back when Cailsta dragged you all the way to that hidden chamber. I assume he didn't, but…"

Zael frowned lightly, observing the older man. "You seem to have a soft spot for him."

Arganan didn't reply, closing his good eye, before speaking again. "You should get some sleep. I'm sure you'll need it."

Zael decided to go straight to sleep. There was no point in staying awake for much longer. Besides, if he had tasks to do for Ariela in exchange for keeping his room at this tavern, he needed all the energy he could get.


End file.
